2019-11-09 - Explorers

Branch and Bole is slowly becoming a familiar place to her.

It looks absolutely beautiful during the Autumn, and there's a smile on Isabella's features as she passes by the pumpkin patch, and takes an appreciative glance at the fringe of crimson and gold leaves that surrounds the storefront's backdrop. She slips through the door, and after a curious glance towards the other customers there, she starts making her way to the front of the house. "I'd like to place an order for a wreath," she says to whoever is in charge of the counter today, but as usual she takes a quick peek around the shoulder towards August's office.

"Is he in?" She always asks, whenever she is here.

Ully greets Isabella with a grin and a bounce of his curly blond hair. "Sure thing!" He swipes at the counter tablet, turns it so they can both see it. There's harvest wreathes and winter wreathes; the former tend to be made of fall-colored leaves, corkscrew hazelnut, bittersweet, dried oranges, yarrow, corn, and more besides, while the former are mixes of sprune, fir, and pine boughs, pine cones, acorns, cranberry, and ivy. All come with various ribbon options. "Feel free to pick whatever you want. We can also do one custom for an extra charge." He nods at the other question. "Yep, he's in there."

August is, indeed, in his office, swiping away at his tablet, getting the schedule arranged for the trip to Portland. Well, the theoretical one. Maybe sensing Isabella and Ully's scrutiny, or perhaps it's just timing, he looks up over the edge of his tablet, raises a hand in greeting. An eyebrow goes up, maybe to see if she's just here to shop or needs something.

"Awesome, thanks Ully. I think..." She glances at the options. "I'll take a harvest one and a winter one and I'll just go with the default ribbons. Not at the same time though, would it be okay to have the harvest wreath prepared just in time for Thanksgiving and the winter one at some point in December?" She's already taking out her card, to pay for her orders.

Once that is set, however, she waves back to August, and it appears she does need to see him. Isabella winks at Ully as she passes before closing the door to the man's office for additional privacy. "Hey, August," she says. "Thanks for the save - Alexander told me about what happened in the Church. Is Miss Lake doing alright?" She wanders further in, and will take a seat once invited to do so.

"Absolutely fine," Ully says, tapping here and there, setting dates and making notes. He swipes the card, turns the tablet for Isabella to sign, and she's all done. Ully grins as she heads over to the office and he gets back to restocking the winter indoor plants. They're wildly popular right now.

The door's unlocked, and August gestures behind him at the office selection of tea and coffe on top of the minifridge. It's a better set of options than the customers get, plus there's cider in the fridge itself. "Coffee and tea, if you want. Cream's in the fridge." There's raw honey in a canning jar, sugar in a small, non-description screw-top jar, and even some Equal and Swett'n'Low packets (possibly swiped from the Grizzly Den).

He looks Isabella over, almost certainly with more than just his eyes. His expression clears after a second of that. "Not a problem. I'm just glad we got there before anything, ah, irreversible happened. Ellie's fine." She's fine, because he healed her and smashed a piano instead of breaking those groomsmen in half. Or so he keeps telling himself. He nods at one of the motley collection of chairs around the 50s chrome table which is the break table.

Physically, she's perfectly fine. Spiritually, she is fine.

Mentally?

The old wounds wrought by a traumatic experience in her youth remain well past the surface, thankfully, and when Isabella flashes the man another smile, it's one that is meant to be reassuring. She doesn't elect to get any coffee or tea, having just had some before she had come to see him. Instead, she slips her satchel off her to rest against the side of her chosen chair before sitting on it. "What about you? How are you doing?" she asks, fishing out her phone so she could switch the device on vibrate, tucking back into her back pocket - indicative, perhaps, of some either important or serious thing that she intends to discuss with him looming over the horizon, but she doesn't touch upon it just yet. "Did the rest of your Halloween go okay?"

August rubs his temple. "It went," he says, and shrugs. He offers Isabella a tired smile of commiseration, leans back in his old oak chair. "Guess I can't be surprised Halloween's a bit of a thing, though maybe it felt like less of one when I wasn't using the Gift so much." He makes a face, reaches back to fetch a pear cider from the fridge. "I'm hanging in there." He pops the lid off, has a sip. "What's on your mind?"

"I asked someone more well-versed than I whether there are certain times of the year when things over there and things here tighten up - like whether the connection between them becomes stronger. Definitely something to look into, I think, once we all have the time." Isabella drums her fingers lightly on her knee. "It's what you told me about the Pond. I consulted with a local expert on the history and she told me that there shouldn't be any caves down there, meaning that what your man saw? Was definitely on the other side. Unfortunately, that either means two things - risking the deep, which I think I already mentioned is an egregiously dicey prospect and not just because of the dead bodies floating within it, or finding an alternate way to the caves that are supposedly down there."

She links her fingers together. "My friend's experienced with the Veil, with a breadth of local knowledge that I can't boast - not in the degree she has anyway, she and I intend to go chart the Pond and then possibly the Park, but it might be safer with a group instead of just the two of us and since we're braving what's definitely the wild out there, I was wondering if you wanted to come along. You're the reason that I even know that submerged network even exists, though..." And there's a faint smile. "I won't blame you at all if you wanted to sit this one out, but I thought I would ask. I also thought of you because you're a field researcher like I am, you're experienced in adapting to terrain."

August makes a low sound of contemplation, turns the bottle of pear cider around in his hands. He can't say he's surprised about that; it would easily explain things like the gigantic tadpoles they keep hearing about, or their split personality water monster friend. Also why Tom has such a hard time being believed. That's just what happens when someone who doesn't have the Gift sees too much of the Other Side and then tries to process it.

He nods, slowly, eyes fixed on some distant point. "I'm up for coming with you," he says. "Though, you'll probably want to bring one of the matter Gifted people--Itzhak, or Easton, or someone like them. Someone who can open a path back out. That's not something I can do. And someone like Alexander or Ruiz. I've got a bit of their Gifts, but not the way they do, and I think their Gifts are something you'll need." He pauses, adds, "Assuming your friend isn't one of those. If she is that's at least one of those boxes checked."

He smiles at the comment about field research, has some cider. "Okay, I'll admit...I miss it a little. So I don't mind from that perspective either. Seeing the plants over there would be pretty cool."

"The Pond's more mundane history is also interesting, but it follows certain prevalent patterns you might've already heard of before. Alexander told me it was a man-made reservoir and it is, built in 1908 but with enough mishaps and labor-related issues that it wasn't finished until two years later. It's familiar, not unlike the history I know of regarding the Addington Saw Mill."

Isabella smiles faintly as she sees that spark of interest in the man's eyes. "I might end up working with her on a project to map out Gray Harbor on the other side. It might be useful later," she tells him. "But that's going to require a lot of work, and a lot of thought. Logistics aren't put together in a day, especially field expeditions." She chews on her bottom lip. "Anne mentioned that she's been back and forth several time so chances are, we're covered there as far as the Doors are concerned, and she burns just as brightly as you and I do. Easton..." Her mind flashes back at the haggard look he was wearing the last time she saw him, or the Key taunting him in his office. "He might be having his own troubles, and I don't really know Itzhak. He's ridiculously powerful from what I managed to feel the first few times I've met him, but I know that Isolde intends to ask him to come with her on a quest also, and I'd rather than he be with her to look after her. It would give Alexander some peace of mind, too, I think."

There's a lift of her brows and a laugh. "A little?" She shoots him a look, with a playful waggle of her brows because she knows. Dissertation period is probably driving her crazy, especially when so many of her colleagues are finding wondrous things out in the world within the last few months. "Alexander's reluctant to be anywhere near the Ring due to...you know." His difficulties resisting compulsion. "But I might need his help in another angle. I'll ask him, though, and think of a back-up just in case."

"Well if Tom saw caves and bodies and it's got a history like the Saw Mill then I can't see how it's not related to the Other Side." But then August can say that about the whole town. Well, 90% of the town.

He nods at her assessments, says, "I do know Itzhak well, but I also agree we don't want to stretch anyone too thin. But if your friend can get herself in and out, that's covered." A small wince for Alexander, and a nod. (He also privately thinks almost getting killed by Lilith under the influence of the thing might be a factor.) "de la Vega might be a better choice there." Not Thorne, maybe for the obvious reason. "Or Hyacinth Addington. She's pretty strong willed."

He laughs at the eyebrow waggling, has some cider. "Look, I'm old and creaky, the sleeping-on-a-mountainside thing lost a lot of its charm for me when the aches set in. But I can manage it now and again." Especially in this case, his expression suggests.

"Yeah," Isabella murmurs. "But I know that he's been under the gun a lot these days also. Have you talked to him, lately? He wanted to speak to me after Alexander and I returned from Seattle but I haven't managed to connect with him. I'll keep thinking on it, though."

His laugh - and he doesn't laugh often - warms her expression, the young woman leaning back against her chair and grinning faintly. "I'm apparently, inordinately talented in making others feel young, I've been told. Stick with me, August. I'm the fucking fountain of youth." She's clearly jesting, with mischief in her eyes, flashing him a wink.

That brief glimpse of levity fades under the weight of a softer and more serious look. "I'm happy that you and Miss Lake seem to be alright after all of that. When are you heading off to Portland, again? For Thanksgiving, right?"

Voice low, August says, "Yeah," of Ruiz's current situation. It's not his story to tell, and 'complicated' doesn't begin to cover it. "Still. Worth asking, even if he says no. Keep him in the loop in case anything happens." Is it morbid, to plan for a need to be searched for in case you go missing? Maybe, but this is Gray Harbor.

He grunts at the fountain of youth comment, has a bit of cider. Of the trip to Portland, he says, "Depends on folks' schedules. Maybe. Maybe just before or after. My family never really sticks to a specific day for Thanksgiving or Solstice, so we could go up the week before if Ellie or Itzhak want to spend the actual holiday with their families." He shrugs about that. His upbringing was not what one would call typical.

"Yeah - I'll talk to him, hopefully sometime soon." Isabella keeps silent about her own apprehensions but that is something she decides not to bother August with.

There's a hint of a grin. "So all three of you are going? That sounds fun," she says. "Daddy's still in New Orleans with my aunt, but I don't think I'm going to make it out there the day of. Maybe a quick visit, and knowing my Aunt Mary, she'll insist on doing all of the cooking. That does mean staying here for the actual festivities, though." There's a glance down at her fingers. "Alexander invited me to spend it with him and his...parents."

If anything, a dangerous expedition to find an alternate route into underwater caves underneath Veil Gray Pond seems less daunting than that, once again caught in a position she never has before. She flashes back to the incriminating book on her desk: THE MODERN LADY'S GUIDE TO MEETING HIS PARENTS, if nothing else, evidence to the fact that they do write books about how to deal with every single little relationship conundrum under the sun ever, and she doesn't know where to start a growing rant, ranging from the social pressures of doing well in such meetings to the fact that the publishing industry is actually churning these out as products. And people buy them! People like her! There's a slight hint of mortification in her as she sinks further into her seat.

Instead: "...I found out from my Quileute friend that it's an open secret in the Res that Joshua Foster peddles illegal drugs," she tells August. "Though I don't know what kind. Stands to reason that there's some possibility that casino might also double as a convenient drug trafficking hub along the coast if he gets his way."

"Three, maybe four, depending on who wants to come with. It's a nice little drive if you know how to make it without getting hit by traffic." August says this like a man who does and has it down to a science. He raises his eyebrows at Isabella, quickly narrows his eyes. "Nervous about that?" he says, sympathetic. "Don't be. They'll like you, or they won't, but it's not a judgment on your worth. He's the one who gets to pick you, not them. Them liking you is a convenient bonus." Well, he would feel that way--he's probably had a few boyfriends whose parents were not thrilled to hear their son was dating a guy at all. So maybe to him meeting the parents is always something which comes with armoring up and preparing for battle.

He makes a low, displeased sound about that bit of casino news. "Great." Flat and deadpan. "So, instead of the casino theoretically being a hub for drugs, it probably just will be." He rubs at his eyes. How much seaweed was growing in the habor? Could he just sink the casino? Could he and Erin do that?

"I'm basically supportive of any and all travel outside of Gray Harbor, and in general, so between you and me, you're doing great work, August," Isabella says with a laugh, unlinking her fingers so she can shift a little on her seat. "But drive safely and I hope you and your party have an excellent time."

The sympathetic look has her laughing a little awkwardly, shifting her eyes sideways. It's a rarity to see her look less than confident about something, but he would be able to sense her embarrassment from a mile away. "I know it probably wouldn't change Alexander's mind even if they didn't like me, it's just...you know. Alien territory. Kind of how you see this vista for the very first time and how you don't know what's out there, and you don't know if you'll survive it, but nothing's going to stop you from exploring it anyway. I was honestly surprised that he asked me. It was..."

Her lips quirk upwards, faintly. "It was...nice." There's probably a better word she could use, but that's the one that she could say. "And it'll be a little strange? I mean, I know Coach Clayton. I was in different sports teams in high school, I pestered him constantly. But it's been forever since then. I haven't talked to him since a few days before Sid..."

She falls quiet there before she sighs. "I think you're right though, on all counts. As always you're a font of good advice."

His quiet groan has her nodding grimly. "It's a guess but one that isn't far beyond the reality, I think. But it will all boil down to what law enforcement can prove. I haven't heard much from the detectives on the case but Detective Quintanilla reached out today, so I guess we'll see what he wants. If all else fails, I guess I'm going to try and see if the water yields anything helpful."

With a wry smile, August says, "I wish I could say it was just to get out of here, see family, and introduce them to Ellie and my friends. But there's another reason." His tone matches his smile. "There's a spot down there like here. Where the Other Side's close. I want to go down there, see if what happened here, with our reach? Happened there." He shifts in his chair, finishes off his cider. "If some of the people I used to know are still about, I can ask them about it, too. I wasn't all that...conversant, in this, as a kid, but a group of us knew strange shit was possible." And there were, of couse, the overly-interested adults eyeing them. It's disconcerting to think how joining the Army and getting deployed may have saved him from being preyed on by questionable people who knew what he was long before he did. "So. I'll let you know what we find out."

He listens, nods at the bit about it being strange. He'd probably find it strange if he'd grown up in town and known Ellie's parents, it was true. Odd enough randomly running into her brother in a coffee shop. He makes a low sound of amusement. "You just haven't had the misfortune of getting the bad advice yet. Give me time."

A sigh for the casino. "Well, if we can get it turned into a more useful space, that'd be a start. But I'll settle for it just getting shut down, in the mean time. Here's hoping."

"Yeah, you mentioned." Isabella and her steel-trap memory, looking up from her fingers to rest her keen attention on August again. "It'd be interesting to know that because that would mean...well, in the end it could mean anything but it would make me lean towards the conclusion that thin points everywhere are linked, somehow. If what Gohl did occurred in our side of the world and similar effects are found elsewhere, it's probably likely that we're looking at some kind of ripple effect through a web. But we don't have a lot of data just yet." A new problem, and a new possibility. She turns it over in her mind but judging by the gleam August would find in her irises and expression, it's a challenge that she's willing to face with relish. "Yes, please! If you could let me know, that would be fantastic. If I come across anything that might be related to all of that, I'll let you know as well."

His quip about the inevitable bad piece of advice draws out a laugh, her face reflecting her mirth in that unabashed, wholehearted way - all in, or nothing at all. "I thought I had the market cornered on that?" she teases him gamely, mischief overt and luminous on her smile.

Casino talk has her nodding with a quiet groan. "An aquarium, or a diving center - a maritime discovery center for adults and children, that sort of thing. It's not a bad idea, but baby steps first. I'll update you on that end, too, see if it doesn't drive the both of us to shameless acts of eco-terrorism." She winks at him at that, before slowly unfolding herself from the chair. "Anyway, have a great time at Portland, and be careful, okay? When you're out investigating. I'll let you know when this trip of ours is underway."

August frowns at repeating himself. Well, he's tired. And of course, there's Their distractions. His number will be up any time now. (He's trying not to think about that too much.) He shrugs it away, though the tired mien is hard to miss. "Will do. Ellie's going to that Paranormal Society meeting, might be a good thing for you to hit up too." A lift of his eyebrows at the suggestion; August has too much else to do. He'll rely on Eleanor and Ignacio to keep him up to speed there.

He assures her, "That market will never be cornered by any one person," and nods about taking care. "Will do. Hopefully it'll turn up something useful." He takes up his tablet again. No rest for the weary. "Good luck on your fact finding."